A West Point classmate of Dwight D. Eisenhower, White served during World War II, where he was chief of staff of both XIV Corps during the Guadalcanal campaign and the U.S.

[4] Commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 26th Infantry on 12 June 1915, White's first posting was to Brownsville, Texas, where he served with the Pancho Villa Expedition.

He was assigned to the 11th Field Artillery Regiment on the Mexican border at Douglas, Arizona, except for a brief posting to the School of Fire at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, from 11 August to 1 October 1917.

He commanded the 3rd Field Artillery Training Regiment at Camp Zachary Taylor, Kentucky, from 9 July to 4 August 1918, and was with the 37th Field Artillery Regiment at Camp Lewis, Washington, from 9 August 1918 to 20 February 1919, as its commander from 15 December 1918, shortly after the Armistice with Germany on November 11, which brought a cessation to hostilities.

He then attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas from September 1926 to June 1928.

He then returned to the Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, this time as an instructor in Tactics and Communications from 1 August 1934 to 22 June 1938.

[9] This was followed by a tour as executive officer of the 1st Field Artillery there from 3 July 1938 to 30 June 1939, and with the historical section at the Army War College from 15 August 1939 to 12 November 1940.

[10] On 18 November 1940, White became Assistant Chief of Staff (G3) of the VIII Corps at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

All of the officer's Patch had brought with him on the plane were transferred to Seventh Army, along with the G1, Lieutenant Colonel William H. Craig.

[16] In keeping with his new responsibilities, White was promoted to brigadier general (AUS) on 24 May 1944, although his substantive rank was of colonel from 1 June 1944.

[11][9] White served as Seventh Army Chief of Staff throughout the campaign in Southern France and later Germany, up until the end of World War II in Europe in May 1945.

[2][1] He returned to the United States, where he assumed command of the V Corps Artillery, with the permanent rank of brigadier general from 1 August 1946.

[11][9] In retirement, White settled in Asheville, North Carolina, where he liked to hunt and fish and pursued his hobby of carpentry.